NP Scope of Practice by State: Full, Reduced & Restricted (2026)
Quick answer
Nurse practitioner scope of practice is set state by state and falls into three tiers defined by AANP and NCSBN: full practice (NPs evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prescribe - including controlled substances - under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing, no physician agreement required), reduced practice (a career-long collaborative agreement with a physician, or a setting limit, is required for at least one element of care), and restricted practice (career-long physician supervision, delegation, or team management is required). As of the 2026 AANP practice environment map, 27 states plus Washington, DC have full practice authority; the rest are reduced or restricted.
The three NP practice authority tiers
AANP, NCSBN, and the National Academy of Medicine classify every state's NP practice environment into one of three tiers. This page uses the same framework - not a different one - applied to all 50 states plus Washington, DC.
NPs evaluate, diagnose, order and interpret tests, and initiate and manage treatment - including prescribing controlled substances - under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing. No career-long collaborative agreement with a physician is required.
State law reduces an NP's ability to perform at least one element of practice - typically a career-long regulated collaborative agreement with a physician, or a limit on the setting where an element of care can happen.
State law restricts an NP's ability to perform at least one element of practice and requires career-long supervision, delegation, or team management by another health provider.
Per AANP's 2026 map: 28 full practice jurisdictions (incl. DC), 12 reduced practice, 11 restricted practice.
NP practice authority by state - all 50 states + DC
Search by state name, or filter by tier. Every row links to the state's official board of nursing.
Alabama
Reduced PracticeCollaborative practice agreement with a physician required to diagnose and treat
Alabama Board of NursingAlaska
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Alaska Board of NursingArizona
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Arizona Board of NursingArkansas
Reduced PracticeCollaborative practice agreement required for full scope of practice
Arkansas Board of NursingCalifornia
Restricted PracticeMost NPs practice under standardized procedures approved by a supervising physician
California Board of NursingColorado
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Colorado Board of NursingConnecticut
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Connecticut Board of NursingDelaware
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Delaware Board of NursingDistrict of Columbia
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
District of Columbia Board of NursingFlorida
Restricted PracticeAutonomous practice (HB 607, 2020) is limited to family medicine, general pediatrics, general internal medicine, and certified nurse-midwifery, after 3,000 supervised hours
Florida Board of NursingGeorgia
Restricted PracticeNurse protocol agreement with a supervising physician required for diagnosis and treatment
Georgia Board of NursingHawaii
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Hawaii Board of NursingIdaho
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Idaho Board of NursingIllinois
Reduced PracticeReduced practice by default - a career-long collaborative agreement is required unless an NP separately qualifies for Full Practice Authority (APRN-FPA)
Illinois Board of NursingIndiana
Reduced PracticeCollaborative agreement with a physician required for prescriptive authority
Indiana Board of NursingIowa
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Iowa Board of NursingKansas
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Kansas Board of NursingKentucky
Reduced PracticeCollaborative agreement with a physician required for at least one element of practice, most often prescribing
Kentucky Board of NursingLouisiana
Reduced PracticeCollaborative practice agreement with a physician required
Louisiana Board of NursingMaine
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Maine Board of NursingMaryland
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Maryland Board of NursingMassachusetts
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Massachusetts Board of NursingMichigan
Restricted PracticeParticipating physician relationship required for prescriptive authority
Michigan Board of NursingMinnesota
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Minnesota Board of NursingMississippi
Reduced PracticeCollaborative/consultation agreement with a physician required
Mississippi Board of NursingMissouri
Restricted PracticeCollaborative practice arrangement with a supervising physician required, including geographic-proximity rules
Missouri Board of NursingMontana
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Montana Board of NursingNebraska
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Nebraska Board of NursingNevada
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Nevada Board of NursingNew Hampshire
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
New Hampshire Board of NursingNew Jersey
Reduced PracticeJoint protocol with a physician required for controlled-substance prescribing
New Jersey Board of NursingNew Mexico
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
New Mexico Board of NursingNorth Dakota
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
North Dakota Board of NursingOhio
Reduced PracticeStandard Care Arrangement (SCA) with a collaborating physician required
Ohio Board of NursingOklahoma
Restricted PracticeSupervising physician relationship required for practice and prescribing
Oklahoma Board of NursingOregon
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Oregon Board of NursingRhode Island
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Rhode Island Board of NursingSouth Carolina
Restricted PracticeWritten scope-of-practice / physician supervision agreement required
South Carolina Board of NursingSouth Dakota
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
South Dakota Board of NursingUtah
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Utah Board of NursingVermont
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Vermont Board of NursingVirginia
Restricted PracticePractice agreement with a supervising physician required for at least one element of practice
Virginia Board of NursingWest Virginia
Reduced PracticeCollaborative agreement with a physician required for prescriptive authority
West Virginia Board of NursingWisconsin
Reduced PracticeCollaborative agreement with a physician required for at least one element of practice
Wisconsin Board of NursingWyoming
Full Practice AuthorityFull practice authority under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing
Wyoming Board of NursingQuestions about NP scope of practice
This tool uses public data from AANP and state nursing boards. Laws change - verify with your board before relying on this information.
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